Means To An End
by TerminusVerso
Summary: A change in destiny brings about a fitting punishment. Or: Ink and the residents of the Multiverse concoct a plan to be rid of Error. Forever. However, the destroyer quickly catches wind of this 'plan' and devises one of his own... The Multiverse will never be the same again. Inspired by 'Healing What Has Been Broken' by Harrish6.
1. The Beginning of The End

Author Note: I have joined the dark side!

* * *

Beings- powerhouses, humans, and monsters (Sanses, Papuruses, the occasional Asgore, Toriel, etc.) from across the Multiverse gathered in a blank AU with only one goal to complete: Defeating Error the Destroyer. All in all, it seemed like a losing battle. A foolish dream to dare challenge a psychotic skeleton known to eradicate all those in his path. But it was far from that. They had planned this battle for weeks, months. Perhaps even years. Ages of coordinating, scheming, preparing, and rallying was spent with this event in mind. And now the time to take action was nigh. Everyone laid in wait, anticipating their dreaded foe's arrival. Blaster and bone attacks floated by their Sanses and Papyruses, blazing gales swarmed around the few Toriels, and tridents were firmly held by an Asgore or two. A rare Frisk and Chara stood in the background, baring a determined expression. Apparitions of various Gasters watched on. Some fearful; Others nervous and un-approving.

Each and every monster had taken their places, ready to fight (or watch from the sidelines)- Fight a battle they were destined to lose. Nothing could change that. Not even Fate. Gentle flaps of a butterfly's wings had already changed the timeline's course and forever altered the path those involved would be forced to walk.

Destiny's favored child, Error, knew something sinister was planned for him. Something concocted by Fate and the citizens of the Multiverse. They tried to hide it, keep him out of the loop. But he was no fool. Insane? Sure. Clueless at times? Definitely. _A fool_? Certainly not. Never. Any self-respecting Sans who trod the field of science would not be taken for _a fool_. Error was no different. The long-forgotten Science Sans - the one true Genocide - spotted the Multiverse's 'secret' plan from a mile away.

So, the glitch took it upon himself to counter their strike with one of his own. A strike that would shake the Multiverse to its' core, and hit Fate in their only known weakness.

During everyone's scramble to prepare, Error spent those seemingly endless months crafting his 'special attack'. Editing and changing code, mixing it with ancient magicks until he had the perfect punishment for those who wronged him. A means to pass on his duty and transform his victim into the next destroyer: _His soul_. (Many monsters - mainly Floweyes and the few other soulless residents of the Underground/Multiverse - proved life did not require a soul. But Error would be lying if he said it wasn't his plan to die. He craved it. Wished death would release him from his eternal suffering.) Assuming everything worked as planned, the glitched soul would transfer the powers 'bestowed' to him by Fate into a poor, unfortunate monster.

Error already had a target in mind. No other monster would suffice, or give him the justice he sought. It was- Well, a truly poetic choice.

Best of all, once his soul bound to its' new owner, it could never be removed. Any attempts to be rid of it would be met with terrible consequences- a powerful portal straight to the Void or an excruciating pain comparable to death. Fitting punishments, right? The destroyer himself was quite pleased with his work.

In the depths of the Anti-Void, Error cracked a small smile. Something subtle and sinister, not maniacal like most would assume. It was the first smile to grace his face since the beginning of Fate's little game. It made the moment feel even more special. Error would (once again) challenge Fate for his freedom. An act the powerful entity loathed. This situation very well may have been caused by his unwillingness to give up. His determination... Or, the whole 'defying fate and being trapped in the Save Screen before escaping and getting his happy ending' thing from a lifetime ago. That event angered Fate greatly but won him Destiny's interest and approval.

Yes... On this day, Error would regain his grasp on _his_ destiny.

For eons, Fate mindlessly meddled and interfered with his existence without a care for any repercussions. But _now_\- Now Fate's decisions would bring despair to the Multiverse; Error's revenge would be complete.

* * *

"_Error!_"

A voice Error had grown to loathe - more so than the ones plaguing his mind - greeted him as soon as his feet touched the stark white ground. His eye sockets narrowed at the grating noise's source: Ink. Also known as the most aggravating, ignorant, self-absorbed idiot to ever tread the Multiverse. The colorful skeleton stood at the forefront of a large army.

_Perfect._ Error thought to himself. _That means he has no one to shield him if I attack. And they won't make a move until he orders them to... Heh. Like little puppets._

As predicted, Ink's monsters and humans waited loyally for orders. Though many looked eager to get things over with. Their hand twitching and magic itching to strike him down. However, Ink had other plans. The 'protector' of the Multiverse drew his paintbrush and aimed it toward Error, posing dramatically all the while. No doubt gaining his followers' admiration as well. Because who doesn't love a 'hero'. _Charlatan_. Now that was a more accurate word for Fate's soulless abomination.

Naturally, the voices choose then to give their two cents ('Well, that's rude.'; 'Don't be so dramatic.'; 'You're the real abomination.'; 'Just save everyone the trouble and let him kill you.'), but Error let Ink's little speech drown them out. Listening to them would only help prove how obnoxious they were anyways.

"This all ends now. I won't allow you to harm these people, these AUs anymore! The terror... The death... The senseless destruction... You shall spread them no longer! Today, we stand here - united - to defeat you! Today, you will die!" Ink stood tall, forever changing eyelights solid red crosshairs. Crosshairs pinned on Error.

Every visible monster cheered at the declaration. The hidden ones - Gasters, and Error noted with a hint of surprise, Death/Reaper stood alongside them - bore a grim expression. He couldn't blame them. For not interfering or preventing this battle. While many understood the importance of the Balance, a few lost souls would hardly be able to sway the majority of Multiverse. Reaper though... Error never expected to see the Death God off to the side, looking like hell froze over. But, again, he understood why. Like himself, Reaper was unpopular due to his role in the Multiverse.

Perhaps Ink would try to kill death incarnate after Error died? Perhaps all negative forces? Then the idiots would have no choice but to live in a hell of their own making.

_Tyrants running around, unable to die. The old and ill and suffering unable to end their misery. Broken codes tearing AUs apart. Viruses infecting every corner of the Multiverse. Blank and unfinished universes cluttering the limited space available. Chaos and insanity plaguing the minds of both humans and monsters as their worlds lit ablaze._ _Now _that_\- that is almost worth sticking around to see._ Error smirked at the thought. It was the most likely outcome, too. The creator truly believed Error's role was unnecessary. He did not believe the Multiverse required the Balance. Or, his sheer stupidity prevented him from seeing that it did.

No matter. Error wanted this sick game to end regardless of any ill-effects that would befall the Multiverse.

After all, it won't be his problem once he's dead. ('_Ugh!_ You're so depressing.'; Yes, end this. Kill yourself!'; 'Ha-ha-ha-ha! You are totally going to hell for this!'; 'Kill yourself! Kill yourself!'; 'You're just wasting everyone's time. You're too stupid to actually make this work, let alone pull it off. Give up.')

"Heh. He-heh. I h-have been try-try-trying to die for s-so long- praying for-r the swe-sweet release of-of death, tempting t-the fates t-to end me... but nothing-ing ever-ever works. T-trust me, I've tri-tried everyth-thing: Asphyxiation, electrocution, blunt force trauma-" Error went on to list his suicide methods, taking great joy in the paling of several humans and monster. Some even looked ready to puke. He continued, "And-and after everything - ev-every single fucking att-attempt to-to die - I finally-lly found something. Someth-thing that w-will free me-me from Fate's sick, twi-twi-twisted game. S-so tell m-me, Ink..."

Error stared straight into Ink's wavering eyelights. "H-how do you-you feel about becoming-ing _the next destroyer_?"


	2. The End

('What?!'; 'Well, I didn't see that coming...'; 'You're- You're serious?'; 'What makes you think this will change anything? You'll still be the same insignificant, useless monster. Nothing can change that. It is who you are: _Worthless_!') Error silently cursed at the voices. If they weren't disembodied, they would have been killed off long ago. _Annoying bastards._

He watched the artist's skull twist in confusion. Dramatic pose slacking, paintbrush drooping.

"Wh-" Ink barely got the first syllable out before Error took action. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he glitched forward, standing directly in front of the colorful skeleton. Their faces mere inches apart. Monsters reacted with the speed of molasses. Hands outstretched in their direction, and attacks firing at his previous position. Humans (Frisk/Chara) 'rushed' from behind the scenes, knives brandished. The futile attempts to stop him were almost laughable. Hilarious even! These filthy creatures really thought they could win, didn't they? Against him? _Pathetic_.

In the great words of his past-self, '_I die when I say I die. No sooner, no later._' To fall by hands other than his own would disgrace his legacy. Error had survived Fate's meddling more than once before. He survived the countless genocide runs of his old universe. He threw fate to the wind and forced his way to a happy ending. The Anti-Void - a place of lifelessness and nonexistence - failed to erase him.

And he couldn't die. Even when he wanted to. However, this time would be different. Without his soul- without Fate ruling over his life, he could finally dust.

Finally, find peace.

Error summoned his soul swiftly; The inverted, broken heart sprung forth from his chest and floated right into his hand. Soft error symbols glitched to and fro, indicating who the soul belonged to: Comic Sans 'Error/Genocide' Font the Destroyer. (Wordy? Yes, very much so. Nevertheless, it was his full name and title.) But soon it would belong to someone else. A flurry of warm feelings tingled in his chest as he thought about how angry Fate would be.

_Heh. I bet they're going to have a fit! Too bad I won't be around to see their impending tantrum. _Error glanced at the soul in hand and smirked. _Time to turn Ink the Soulless Wonder into Ink the Soulful Blunder. And irk the ever-living hell out of Fate._

In a fluid motion, Error gave a wave of his free hand and opened Ink's hidden files. Ones and zeros sprung to life, various menus popped open, and numerous codes danced around the pair. It was a lot to take in. As a master of codes and manipulation, he prided himself in his ability to understand the Multiverse's many codes- The sheer absurdity of Ink's code threatened to confuse him. Him, the Multiverse's most proficient (and only) coder! Worst of all, it was successful in its attempt to be puzzling.

_Now, where's that fucking folder?_ Error wondered as he sifted through the information, frowning. Ink's filing system made as much sense as the creations spawned by his goldfish-like attention span. Just one thing after another with no rhyme or reason; Nothing seemed to be in its proper place. And some of the things in his inventory... Error could help but raise a nonexistent eyebrow.

_Why is he carrying a fruitcake? On second thought, I probably don't want to know. _He closed the menu and went about his search.

What felt like an eternity - but was, in reality, only a few minutes - passed before he spotted something.

"There it is!" Error nearly cheered, happily. Too bad this moment could not be savored. Waiting around too much longer was practically an invitation for someone to come and stop him. Plus, the special magic he used to move - more or less glitch like the error he was - outside of time was fading out. As if sensing his next actions, the voices broke into a deafening protest, much to Error's dismay. One sentence after another echoed in his skull loud enough to make him imagine it shattering like glass. At least he'll be rid of them shortly.

Not soon enough for his liking, though.

('No! Don't you dare!'; 'This is a really bad idea.'; 'Stop! Someone stop him!'; 'Wow... Fate's gonna be so pissed.'; 'You're an idiot, there's no way this is going to work!'; 'Cease this foolishness at once, Error!'; 'Guess that one way to sign a death certificate.'; 'No, no, no, no, no! Don't do this!'; 'Can I appeal to your better side... maybe convince you to not do this?'; 'You can't do this! What will happen to the Multiverse without a creator around?!')

Error forced the voices from his mind, as much as he could, and looked down at his weaponized soul. A malicious smirk spread across his face. Protests or not, nothing could stop this. Ink was going to suffer. Suffer as much as he has, and learn the feeling of true pain- Pain so awful an entire dictionary could not describe it. And _Fate_... Oh, Fate would learn the horror, agony, and frustration attached to attempting to save the impossible.

.

Grinning, Error introduced the soul to Ink's code; It immediately snapped into place, glowing and vanishing into the artist's chest. _Success_. His plan was a success. Freedom would soon be attained. He almost celebrated then and there- as his link with the soul finished severing, an immense pain shot through his chest. Like the ache of an old wound. A knife slash. He grit his teeth and stood tall, eyes narrowing. That had not been an expected side effect. The voices slowly and steadily fading from existence? Yeah. The sooner they left the better, especially since Ink would likely end up with them and their degrading comments. But a sharp stinging from his almost-forgotten scar? No. Why would Error ever predict that? _Geno_... Geno was gone. He wasn't Geno. Not anymore. So, why?

Another pang caused him to cringe. There were more important things to do than worry about irrelevant questions. The pain was probably a sign he was finally dying, anyways. Error glitched back to his original position and stumbled upon his return. Losing his soul was affecting him. Badly. He could feel his magic and strength draining rapidly.

_At least that means I'm going to be a goner soon_ _._

Lightly panting, Error stilled his quivering legs and glared across the battlefield. Time was up in-

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

The time-halting magic vanished; Time sped forth.

Ink fell to the ground with an ear-piercing cry, thrashing and writhing in pure agony. Pitch black ink began to pour from his eye sockets. The shade was so dark and all-consuming it was reminiscent of a black hole. His hand clawed relentlessly at the space housing Error's old soul, which was now his new soul. Small glitches appeared and disappeared at random. The white skeleton's visible bones shifted, darkening and changing shade in certain areas. Any noises that escaped him sounded akin to a wounded animal. Shrieks, howls, whines, growls- If Error didn't know any better, he would have thought Ink was a Gaster Blaster Sans.

Heh, no. If anything, Ink was Fate's beloved _demon_.

While Error reveled in Ink's pain, trying and failing to ignore his own, a chorus of voices erupted from the large army. Many sentences blended into an incomprehensible noise, but some reached his ears undisturbed.

"Error, what did you do?!"

"Ink! Are you okay?!"

"Ya bastard!"

" ."

"Hold on! We- We can fix this... maybe."

"Fuck!"

"Language, dear brother!"

"Don't worry, it will be okay!"

"I'm gonna kill ya for that!"

"Well, shit!"

"I'm sorry, but what just happened?"

Error ignored the last one and the questioning sound that followed. Instead, he focused on his impending doom. Each and every attack - from blast to bone, spear to fire, knife to... mercy (Why would someone do that?) - barreled toward him, like an unholy barrage of anguish. Error didn't bother dodging. Not by choice, but because he physically couldn't. Strange white glitches riddled his being; Pain stemmed from his ribs and shot throughout the rest of his bones... Just like the old days. Back when Error lived a somewhat mortal life, with eternal pain as his only companion. Perhaps Reaper was right to call him a masochist? Error's taste in self-misery seemed to be the same. Except he had attempted to end himself far more than during his previous life. Gritting his teeth, he held in a cry of pain as his form violently glitched. The attacks were so close, too.

_So this is how I die? Heh. Better than nothing._

_I'm ready for this to end._

Error gave one last look at the brutal assault headed his way before closing his eyes and accepting this end. After all, his demise would either be by his own hands or choosing.

_*Miss_

_*Miss_

_*Miss_

_*Miss_

_*Miss_

_*Miss_

_*Miss times nth_

A few moments passed, and then a few more. Nothing else happened. No additional misses. No injuries. No conclusive hits. Error's invisible brow furrowed. _Why am I still alive_, was his only thought. Surely an attack, _any attack_, should have hit by now. They could not have just disappeared. There were far too many- an assault of the highest caliber, produced by nearly every resident of the Multiverse.

How did some even miss in the first place? He didn't dodge a single attack. How? How did that happen?

Error opened his sockets and allowed his eyelights to scan the scene before him. Overall, not much had changed. Various types of attacks littered the ground around and behind him, as if they were somehow incapable of hitting their target. Which was, again, quite strange. Ink's army had moved to his side during the strike, standing nervously but not too close to the still writhing skeleton. (To others, the scene changed. Drastically. The villain they had come to know and hate was gone, and standing in place of the destroyer was a completely different skeleton. One almost normal looking. Dirty white bones replaced Error's unnatural black. Clothes, once dark and tattered, were now off-white and blood red. Any glitching was subtle. The glitches themselves appeared to be white squares, unlike Error's violent error symbols. These glitch-squares also seemed to manifest at random before disappearing completely. Oddly enough, the new skeleton had a droopy right eye socket much like Error's.)

With a glance at his now white hands, Error had a sole thought coursing through his head, _I'm still alive..._

_I'm still alive._

_I'm _still _alive._

Rage bubbled in his nonexistent soul at the realization. That- that final assault was meant to be his end. He _wanted _it to be his end. Lifting his eyelights, Error spotted Ink's army staring at him. Their looks ranged from shock to confusion to anger. A random Sans stepped towards him, attack in hand. Magic flared in Error's left eye socket, burning a fierce red and blue/yellow, striking fear into the approaching Sans. If they're going to kill him, he might as well make it interesting.

_Let's play the 'villain' one last time._

Error broke into maniacal laughter, startling his onlookers, "You see that, asshole?! Your little plan failed. _Again! _Did you really think it would work? That I would bow to _you_? Heh! That's hilarious! I DEFY THE FATES! I DEFY YOU, YA FUCKIN' IDIOT! H-" He doubled over, gasping. The pain in his chest had nearly tripled. Error couldn't stop his hands from clutching at the aching area.

With a frown, he performed a check on himself and noticed his single HP dropping._ Guess this is one anticlimactic end for a 'villain'. _

"H-heh... I'll see y-you soon," Error whispered to himself, letting his sockets fall shut once more, ready to accept the embrace of death. "P-papyrus."


	3. Terminus

"WHAT THE FUCK IS _THAT_!"

Error's eyes snapped open, his 'heart' racing a million miles a second. He had not been expecting that fearful wail. It was nothing like the anticipated cursing of his name or usual strong expletives. Monsters and humans alike loathed him and had directed more than a few choice words at him in the past. But an exclamation of unadulterated alarm? What on earth caused that? The only things that should be going on were his death - naturally, with the entire Multiverse cursing his name in the background - and Ink going insane and destroying everyone he once 'cared' for.

That was a nice thought, wasn't it? The Multiverse's beloved protector being their undoing. A false hero finally being seen as what he truly was. A monster- Not the species but a sadistic creature solely capable of cruelty. Fate's perfect little '_child_'. However, due to the overall lack of screaming, that wasn't the problem. So, what was? The ex-destroyer's eyelights scanned the area. Shock and pure terror adorned the faces of the monsters and humans Ink gathered; Most were looking in horror at Error... or behind him? Eh, probably not. Why would they do that when the Multiverse's dreaded villain was right in front of them? Then again, the residents of the Multiverse had never been very intelligent. The current situation proved that.

Doubts and questions weaved into Error's mind.

_What's going on? Did my plan backfire? Did the soul not work as designed?_

_...Is Ink an even more hideous abomination now?_

Error glanced toward the skeleton and grimaced at what he saw. The artist laid limp in a puddle of ink, body contorted as if a demon possessed him, with the sickening black liquid seeping out of his eye sockets and mouth. Shape, jagged teeth lined his partially closed mouth. His eyes- the normally colorful sockets were disturbingly vacant and dark. Like black holes replaced the color-changing shapes that once dwelled there. Ink's code was in a constant disagreement about which shade his bones should be. One moment the bones were black, the next they were white, then somewhere in between. From time to time, limbs would shift and twitch and glitch around. It reminded Error of a dying cockroach.

To think he thought Ink was ugly before... this made his old form almost beautiful in comparison.

_Well, it's not like I'll be stuck looking at his hideous face forev_\- The soulless skeleton stiffened.

_Wait a minute._

A realization sparked. Eyes widening, he pulled up his stats and check the HP bar; The amount of HP left was more than surprising. It read 0.000001. _0.000001_! Error should be dead five times over, yet not even a grain of dust flaked off his bones. How was this possible? Everything had been going so well and- White bones. The tattered red scarf. A sharp ache in his chest.

"I'm Geno, again." Error whispered, cautiously, testing out the sound of his voice. No glitches or shifts in pitch distorted it. Eons ago, this change would have made him ecstatic (as it would grant him the ability to finally return home, and prove his freedom from Fate), but now it was a nuisance because of one thing: Determination. Monsters with high levels of DT were notoriously difficult to kill- Whether by someone else or themself. And as Geno, he had extraordinarily high determination. So high it might not even register on a chart. Meaning this unexpected change may lead to some problems with the whole 'trying to die' thing.

He internally groaned. _Why do monsters have to make dying look so easy? Because it clearly isn't!_

Nevertheless, Error could work with this. One visit to a DT Extractor and he'd be dust in no time. However, if the determination had become a permanent part of his old code, that might complicate things further. Perhaps a- He started as everyone began to scream and flee for their lives.

"Everybody RUN!"  
"Someone grab Ink!"  
"I am _not_ touching him!"  
"The hell is _that_ supposed to be!"

The blank AU fell into utter chaos. Sanses teleported around and grabbed their Papyrus as quickly as possible before leaving. Said Papyruses panicking all the while. Monsters - mainly Toriels, Asgores, and a few other un-noteworthy characters - ran amok as, unlike Sanses, they had no ability to instantly remove themselves from harm's way. Dream and Blue, the two remaining guardians, opened portal after portal in an attempt to evacuate the AU. The phantom onlookers returned to the darkness of the Void; Each with palpable fear on their face. A sole monster wasn't running in the same direction as all the others. A shadowy cloak engulfed their frame, wings of a raven sprouted from their back- It was Reaper. Flapping his wings faster than Error believed possible, Reaper zoomed over the mayhem and panic. And he was headed straight from the ex-destroyer.

_Reaper, you moron, what are you doing?_

He should be fleeing like the rest, not coming to save Error from himself.

"Run! Please!" The incarnation of death cried, desperately, over the screams. What caught Error's attention was the odd motions Reaper made with his hands. Some kind of shooing and pointing gesture. One a person might use when attempting to direct someone to something behind them.

Curious, Error turned. The cause of the mass pandemonium was like nothing he had ever seen. A large Void-like rift, with deep and small cracks spiderwebbing from its' center, had torn through the AU's boundaries. Which should be impossible. Keyword: _Should_. Voids could not directly interact with another plane- an AU, the Multiverse, or an alternate Void. At least, not naturally. Error's expression turned grave. This could only be the work of a monster or a machine. But that begs the question: Why would anyone want this to happen?

Voids were notoriously dangerous, and making a gateway to one in an AU was extremely risky. A machine could easily malfunction and drag bystanders into the Void, leaving them with little hope for escape. A monster - though an implausible cause since very few could travel to a Void, let alone make a portal to one - could easily create a portal. However, the amount of power it would take to maintain the portal was god-like. Only a being on par with Ink and himself would have the strength to do such a thing.

Suddenly black strings sprung from the darkness and enveloped Error's waist; At the same time, a chilling hand captured one of his own. His head snapped to the offending hand's owner. If the cold, dead touch hadn't been much of an indicator, then their appearance was.

Error raised an invisible eyebrow at the skeleton. "Reaper?"

"You have to cut the strings!" Reaper said, frantically, his white eyelights mere quivering pricks. The large wings on his back were puffed up, appearing twice their size. Error felt the slightest trembling of Reaper's hand against his.

Death incarnate was scared. Why? The soulless skeleton had no clue.

The thin strands tightened painfully around him, drawing his attention.

_What the h_\- Error barely finish that thought before the strings roughly yanked him toward the dark rift. His hand slipped from Reaper's death grip, which seemed to distress the god more. The other's eyelights completely extinguished and grief lined his face.

"Noooo!" Reaper howled, arm outstretched toward Error as if he could somehow break the laws of the universe and grab him.

Then the world faded to black.


	4. Enigma

Darkness. Total, unbreakable darkness surrounded Error as the strings pulled him into the Void. Oddly enough, it did not feel like the Void or the Anti-Void. It felt... _darker_. In an unnerving and ominous way. Despite his soulless state, he could feel a heavy weight settle in the pit of his stomach. An unpleasantness long since forgotten. _Fear_. The Void's blackness was oppressive. It devoured anything it came into contact with. The ex-destroyer doubted he'd be able to see his own hand if it was in front of him. However, a piercing red light cut through the omnipresent shadows, blazing the distance and slowly getting closer. Eyes widening, he realized in growing horror that it wasn't getting closer to him. _He_ was getting closer to it.

_Shit!_ Error thought, beginning to struggle against the hold on his waist. In response, the strings tightened their hold and jerked him forward, putting him directly in front of the flaming red light; Though bright and agitated, it failed to illuminate any of the dark space. Even the light's source remained engulfed in darkness.

His body shivered as malevolence filled the air. A heavy pressure weighted down on the ex-destroyer's bones. Nightmare and his little entourage had a similar effect, didn't they? Making an area feel as though the weight of their LV was bearing down on it. The close proximity also brought along an odd noise. A signature _stch_ sound Error recognized as the hiss of static or glitching. His eyes narrowed. Something about the light was familiar. Like he had seen something similar to it many times before. Then, all the clues added up. And the answer was far from good. The crimson blaze was, in fact, the eyelight of what Error gathered to be a furious skeleton monster. Possibly glitched or infected with a virus. Maybe even both.

_How did I miss this? Sure, I hate my job, but I certainly didn't do it half-assed!_ Every abomination got deleted as soon as they showed signs of being glitched or infected. He couldn't have missed one! Unless... This abomination was one Ink protected. Once again that damned artist's actions were causing Error grief, instead of the other way around. He growled and grit his teeth as more strings wrapped around his body, trapping one of his arms to his side.

This was not how he planned to die.

A sharp tingling sensation spread across his body; The _stch_-ing in the area doubled.

He dies on _his_ terms. No one else's.

_Ping._

_*You are filled with determination._

Error smirked at the notification. Destroying may be beyond his capabilities now, but he's not going to back down from a fight. Because he was not dying here. This wasn't how his story ends.

"Y-yeah, fuck-fuck n-n-no! I'm g-going to die-die o-on my own ter-erms, and n-not in some-some cra-cra-crazy-ass Void b-by a fuckin-in' glitched abom-omination!" Error declared, voice shifting in pitch and glitching all the while. The threads constricted almost as if they were a snake attempting to squeeze the life out of its' prey.

"So-o. L-let. M-me-me. Go-go." A sharp, magic bone formed in his unrestrained hand. With its' pointed tip aimed forward, he randomly thrust the attack into the darkness.

_*Critical Error - Target collision true and/or false. Damage dealt: -1 to 2. ? lost x HP._

It hit. Error didn't know how or why nor did he care.

The target released a staticky wail, "_Stch-tchskreeeeee!_"

A _thud_ echoed through the strange Void, and the strings loosened just enough for him to wiggle free. He fell after a little struggling. Sadly, gravity decided to introduce his pelvis to the Void's floor. He landed with a _thump_ and pained grunt, but other than some potential bruising, he was uninjured. Standing from his place on the dark surface, Error hissed in discomfort before bolting in a direction opposite to the raging, glitched abomination.

Yes, he had a death wish. Just not one that involved a glitched/infected monster. Being killed by the very thing he hunted down and eliminated would be downright insulting!

_If squid puke hasn't dropped dead by now, then he can have a fuckin' blast dealing with this _thing _when it inevitably __breaks into the Multiverse__._

A furious roar sounded in the distance. The monster no doubt enraged further by its' prey's speedy getaway. Unfortunately, the sudden cry of outrage startled Error. He lost his footing and tripped- falling and falling and falling for what seemed like an eternity, yet couldn't have been more than a few seconds. The ex-destroyer splat on the ground with the grace of a raw egg yolk. A new onslaught of pain assaulted his aching bones.

"Ugh, why me?" Error groaned.

On the bright side, the livid monster was no longer out for his dust. Or was, at least, too far away to be an immediate danger. No more threatening roars sounded in the distance, so that brought him a little relief. On the downside, despite no drop in HP, every bone in his body hurt like it met the front end of a loaded freight train. A moment passed before he pushed himself off the ground and into a sitting position. As Error moved, he noticed a great difference from where he was before to where he was currently. There was light. Actual light. He tilted his head up and squinted. From a... lamppost? The shoddy wooden structure stood tall and had a tacky glass cover concealing the light source. A blue tint colored the glass; The shape itself was somewhat reminiscent of a flower.

There were five runes scratched down the side: A cross, some kind of 'n'-like symbol, a vertical line, a sideways hourglass, and a backward 'z' thing. That was the extent of what Error knew. What they meant or did, he had no idea. Neither versions of himself (Geno or Error) learned about mystical runes or their language. The need for such knowledge never came up, and the magicks he used to edit his old soul were unrelated to the arcane symbols. Plus, it's not like a destroyer needs to be able to understand all magic types in order to obliterate a universe.

The post's light revealed very little space. A black floor, similar to the one of the normal Void, lied beneath. Dark ground. Eternal shadows. Whatever entity created this Void had an obvious fondness for darkness. Still, he enjoyed a break from the limited visibility prominent throughout the Void.

A familiar sensation struck his bones, reminding him of the pain he felt before his escape. Error made use of the light and inspected a hand.

_What? It's..._ The appendage had returned to its red and yellow, glitched state. Upon further inspection, the rest of him proved to be in a similar condition. Black and red and yellow replaced the white previously coloring his bones.

_How? How did Fate catch me again?!_

Distraught with his discovery, the dark-boned skeleton went over recent events, trying to figure out what happened. It had to have happened sometime between his last stand and subsequent capture. But how? Fate wasn't supposed to be able to reach him once his soul got transferred to Ink! Error paled. What kind of horrors would that psychotic deity subject him to next? His actions most certainly angered the sadistic being. Greatly. He half expected the merciless voices to start up at any moment.

And that prediction wasn't entirely wrong.

A voice, faded and distant - not unlike someone speaking from faraway - spoke in place of the usual voices.

("I am sorry, my dear child... An error- a being such as yourself can never truly return to their former self. This - the darkness and pain and destruction - is irreversible. It is a permanent part of who you are." The velvety voice halted for a moment, seemingly pondering their next words. "But while an impossible task, you can still become something else- someone else. You can define who you are, and how you use the powers forced upon you. If you make it out of this alive, I hope you will chase after your own happy ending.")

Throughout the speech, the mysterious voice who dared call him their '_dear child_' slowly faded further and further away until nothing could be heard. Error found the entire exchange odd. Who was that voice? Why were they so... _nice_? Were their words true? Was it one of Fate's tricks or something else? Only time would tell. But until then, the skeleton would assume that voice was an enemy and take any words with a grain of salt.

_Even when attempting death, my life is needlessly complicated._ He pushed himself off the ground and straightened his white coat. For whatever reason, despite the glitching and color of his bones, his clothes remained the same as Geno's. He did not mind though. It was nice to wear something different for once. After all, an eon in the same dirty hoodie and pants could make anyone appreciate the bloody clothes.

_I need to get out of here._

...Error just needed to figure out how first.


	5. New Beginning

Error growled in frustration, straining his magic to open a portal to somewhere- anywhere, even the Save Screen or Anti-Void. Nothing happened; Each attempt left him more and more fatigued. It soon became evident that portal-ing out wasn't going to work. The Shade-Void, as he decided to call it, siphoned magic like a ravenous abyss, making it impossible to create a portal. A few failed portals in and Error felt as though he just fought for three days. With no break. The ex-destroyer's breath grew ragged and his bones rattled from exhaustion. Perhaps trying to open a portal after losing his soul and attacking an abomination wasn't the best idea. He flopped on the Void's sole illuminated spot to rest. The red scarf he wore trailed behind and a tattered end landed on his face. With an agitated huff, the offending article was weakly shoved back to its proper place.

_Just how powerful is that abomination!_ It had torn a gaping hole from this place to the Multiverse, and still had enough magic to put up a fight. No average monster could do that. Not even him, a _God_... assuming his reverted form, and the voice's words, meant his divine status remained unchanged.

Another issue was rules, also known as an environment's unchangeable code settings. The rules of the Shade-Void were a major unknown factor. For all he knew, powerful magicks such as portal-ing might be set to false in this place's code. Which would explain why portals could not be created. But if that was true, how did the odd monster make a connection between the two places? Was that rift even a portal?

_Maybe I should try something a bit smaller just to see if a connection to the outside can be made._

Using what little magic he could muster, Error summoned his strings from the Anti-Void... Or attempted to. Not a single blue strand spawn from the white realm; Any energy put toward the summon instantly flowed away, being devoured by the blackhole-esque force preventing the use of magic to escape the infinite blackness. A similar darkness threatened to cloud Error's vision and take his consciousness as the magical energy slowly vanished. The ex-destroyer immediately halted his actions. His quick puffs of breath seemed to echo in the Void's perpetual silence. Steadily, awareness returned to him. Though the sheer exhaustion caused by the failed plan wanted to take it away. Every bone in his body screamed for slumber- Something the skeleton rare did and did not require. Usually.

Error lied in shock. Under no circumstances had connecting the Anti-Void ever been a challenge. It was like second nature at this point. Considering all the time he spent there, learning the ins and outs of the maddening place, conjuring the thinnest thread should have been a cakewalk. Except... it wasn't. Not in this emo-ass plain of existence, at least.

Now that the skeleton thought about it, had he tried, even once, to reach the Anti-Void since losing his soul? Error thought back to the blank AU Ink created. That universe was meant to be his final resting place; He had accepted death. Not once during the chaos were strings summoned to his side or a portal to amaranthine nothingness opened.

Shattered chains laid where he once stood. Error- Geno, whatever name he was going to by now, was free from Fate, but not the changes she made to him. The Anti-Void. Fate ruled over the insanity-causing space between worlds.

And if her chains no longer restricted him...

That could only mean one thing: His connection to the Anti-Void was completely severed.

The dark skeleton released an exasperated moan, "U-ugh!"

Why did everything need to be so complicated? If he had gotten stuck in the Void or Anti-Void, that would have made things so much easier- He knew the ins and outs of those little slices of hell, including their rules, restrictions, and functions. In the Void, a monster was erased from existence and forced to become a shadow of their former self. In the Anti-Void, prolonged exposure led to death/becoming an error. (Needless to say, the ex-destroyer wasn't too keen on discovering what happened to monsters trapped in the Shade-Void. Especially if it led to transforming into a glitchy/infected abomination like the one he encountered.) Here, he knew next to nothing. The prison was infinite, as were all Voids, and blindingly dark. That was the extent of his knowledge.

Error considered his options. A: He could try to find a natural exit, as improbable as that may be. Neither the Void or Anti-Void had a natural exit. And if they did, he most certainly hadn't found it during any point of his extensive lifetime. Probably never would. Finding a Void's egress could take hundreds to thousands of years, and he did not have that kind of time to spare. Nor did it sound like an enjoyable endeavor. B: He could teleport out. But, once again, there was a problem with that plan. Teleportation was different but similar enough to portal-ing that it would not succeed. That left option C- AKA wander the amaranthine darkness and see if more structures could be found or if any monsters/humans lived there. Of course, there was no guarantee anything - aside from that freaky abomination and the lamppost - exited in the realm.

Error tilted his head to the side, gazing into the blackness.

_There has to be a way out. There is _always _a way out._

His bones may ache, his HP may be critically low, his magic may be lower than it's ever been, but that won't stop Error from finding an exit. An egress. An escape. Determination burned within him. The red blaze grew and grew, giving the strength required for the journey ahead. Bones shaking ever so slightly, the ex-destroyer pulled himself off the ground. He stood there for a second before placing one foot in front of the other and leaving the Void's sole light behind.

* * *

Like all Voids, time held no meaning in the endless darkness. Seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, years- Any number could have passed and Error would be none the wiser. So he walked. And walked. And walked... And walked some more. It had him on edge. The walking, the endlessness, and the silence were all too reminiscent of his first years in the Anti-Void. The fact infinite whiteness didn't surround him was a small blessing. It soothed the pain in Error's mind. Exhaustion crept behind the scenes, but his determination kept it at bay. Though even it began to dim and falter.

After what felt like, and very well could have been, an eon, something appeared in the distance. Something that cut through the shadows and ignited hope. Not another monster. Not a human. Not a lamppost or other form of structure.

It was a _light_. A small glowing orb, giving off a brilliant violet glow.

Error rushed toward the globe. The first real thing he had seen in stars knows how long. Slowly, he came to a stop and gently cupped his hands around the light. It flittered and fluttered. It let off a warm, welcoming sensation. It sparked with immense power; None like any he had ever encountered. The power it radiated felt stronger than the Gods of Old. Stronger than Life, more potent then Death. Omnipresent like Creation and Destruction.

_What is this thing_, he wondered.

Move a hand closer, the ex-destroyer experimentally poked the shining orb. A shock wave of magic immediately cascaded over the area. Error stiffened, worried he accidentally summoned an abomination from the aether. What actually happened was better than he could have imagined. A light appeared. Then another. And another. And so on. Soon millions of colorful orbs shimmered around him; Every color of the rainbow danced across his vision. Pinks, purples, blues, yellows, oranges, and all of the above- They continued far into the vast darkness, like stars in the night sky. The dark skeleton was awestruck. He gapped at the scenery that reminded him so much of Outertale's bright, starry sky.

While appreciating the spectacle's beauty, Error failed to notice the orb his hand cupped begin to glow brighter and vibrate. The glow increased for a short while before dimming to its' original brightness. Then glow increased once more, growing to blinding glare. Before Error could fully realize what was going on, violet tendrils shot out of the orb and yanked him inside.

* * *

Disoriented, the dark skeleton stumbled a few steps forward and froze at the sight of real, not at all black, ground beneath his feet.

"O-okay. Wh-what h-happened? Where th-the-e funk am-am I?" Error hissed, frowning at the censorship of the curse word. He glared at the new landscape. Snow stretched across the frozen ground, chilling any limbs unfortunate enough to lack proper clothing. If he took a moment to silently curse his missing slipper (Who knew where the darn thing ended up. It didn't even make a miraculous reappearance when his clothes changed.), who could blame him? Little pricks of dead grass peeked out from beneath the frosty blanket. Some had the nerve to dig into his bare foot.

Behind, a mountain reached high into the clouds. Its peak was invisible from his current position, but it no doubt broke through the stratosphere. Wind breezed over the chilled earth, rustling the native flora. Mighty pines added color to the vast range. Their deep green made the familiar brown and white landscape less oppressive. A cave's maw opened between two ancient, stone pillars. The very depths of which were shrouded by darkness; No end could be seen. Before Error was a ledge. He walked to the edge and gazed at the land below. Lying beyond the horizon was something he had always seen but never got the chance to fully explore: A city. And not just any city, it was the one human build at the base of Mt. Ebott.

Error's brows furrowed and a frown tugged at his metaphorical lips. The light... Somehow, it brought him here. Given the power it radiated, this shouldn't have come as a surprise, but why did it bring him here?

_This is weird._

A shudder ran down his body as his magic tingled uncomfortably. Like a little itch that couldn't be reached. This place was effecting the ex-destroyer. His bones longer felt quite as weary, his vitality increased, and his energy seemed to be returning at an alarming rate. Error pulled up his stats to make sure nothing was wrong.

* * *

*_Syntax Error - Name input not recognized. Default display:_ **Geno** **(Genocide Sans)**

**LV:** _Error 7B5 - Value can not be calculated. Default display:_ **1/1**

**EXP:** _Error 2V4 - Quantity exceeds value x. Default display:_ **0**

**HP:** _Error 7B5 - Value can not be calculated. Default display:_ **1**

**ATK:** _Error 7B5 - Value can not be calculated. Default display:_ **1**

**DEF: **_Error 7B5 - Value can not be calculated. Default display:_ **1**

_*You're a long way from home, but not at the same time._

* * *

Error glanced at his stats. Usually, the numbers were glitched high above the set cap- And while he could sense his stats were still the same, something odd seemed to be happening to the Check Box's display. Each stat showed an error code. A code only an error, like himself, could see. Error 7B5 and 2V4. According to error 2V4, his EXP exceeded the max value attainable in this world. Which had never occurred in any of the alternate universes he had visited previously. Not even in ones where no magic exists. Thus making this occurrence quite baffling. Error 2V4 directly caused error 7B5, because his stats couldn't be calculated without a definitive numeric value for accumulated Execution Points.

Somehow, his name had an error as well. A syntax error. How his name could not be recognized by the system, the dark skeleton had no clue.

Then there was the defaults. Values and data normal monsters would see in place of the error codes. If the default name was any indication, all the stat defaults were based off Error's time as Geno. Not exactly preferable, but it had its pros. And very few cons. Weak stats caused underestimation. It made humans and monsters hold back in battle, and that's all Error needed to turn the tables in his favor.

Though it had strategical purposes, concern out weighted any satisfaction toward the potential usefulness of the change. The errors should not be happening; They had never happened before. Yet, all of a sudden, Error's stats were more broken than they usually were. Perhaps the problem was linked to the loss of his soul? Or maybe something was wrong with the world itself?

The ex-destroyer's eyes lowered to the Check Box's examination text. The 'examination text' being a general observation of a checkee (creature being checked). His often displayed more insightful information instead of a monster/human's assumptions. It was annoying. Especially when it shared things Error didn't want others to know. Luckily, he found a workaround for that ages ago.

_'You're a long way from home, but not at the same time'?_ Error wondered, _What is that supposed to mean?_

How could one be simultaneously far and close to home? That was a f-ing paradox; Impossible for numerous reasons, unless it was some kind of riddle. Odd, considering how clear and concise his text tended to be.

Curious, Error pulled up the world's code, however, a bit more popped up than expected.

* * *

*Multiverse 89267199 V0: **Amityverse**

**Location**: Sector G, 404 (The Multiverse's position within the Omni-Void.)

**AU**:Aftertale Num. 0 (Current location within the Multiverse. Additional text: _Script Error - Variable known/unknown. Can not display for Geno/Error(.EXE). Advanced code:_ _00111100 01101001 00111110 00101010 01001001 01110100 00100000 01100110 01100101 01100101 01101100 0111011 00100000 01101100 01101001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100010 01100101 01101100 01101111 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 00101110 00111100 00101111 01101001 00111110_)

**Status**: Neutral (_Translation Error - String can not be converted into UTFV text. Advanced code:_ _01010100 01101000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01100011 01101111 01110101 01101100 01100100 00100000 01101101 01100101 01100001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01101110 01111001 01110100 01101000 01101001 01101110 01100111 00101110_)

**Conflict**: Minimal (The Multiverse is overall peaceful. Battles and hostiles are rare, but still spawn from time to time.)

**AU Limit**: n times x squared (The max number of AUs, or alternate universes, able to fit within the Multiverse.)

**Balance**: Self-regulating (The balance between creation and destruction is regulated by the Multiverse itself; Not by living embodiments of the two forces.)

_*This multiverse is different, and most definitely not the one you came from. "Amityverse: Aftertale Num. 0" seems to be somewhat accepting of your code. It may be possible properly integrate yourself into the AU._

* * *

This place was an alternate version of his original home, _Aftertale Num. 0_, the earliest edition of the dust-stained AU. Located in a different Multiverse, no less. One where Fate didn't have the audacity to use him as her puppet; Where Ink, Dream, and everyone under the sun weren't his enemies; Where tortured little Genocide had the potential for a happy ending. A true happy ending. A thing Error himself had yet to achieve. Despite all the information, the very fact a Multiverse could be self-regulating - had no need for him to do the job forced upon him - blew his mind the most. He could hardly fathom such a concept. A Multiverse where Fate wasn't an absolute witch and didn't funk up the Balance? Surely this was a joke. However, the more Error examined the data and codes, he realized truth existed in those statements, and there were no jokes to be had.

Perfect. This Multiverse couldn't be anything but _perfect_.

It made the dark skeleton feel... _something_. Dark emotions that the Nightmare of this Multiverse may or may not be enjoying a strength boost from: Envy, loathing, resentment, and all the finest negative emotions. They burned and clawed away at him. They fueled the dark blaze that replaced anything good left in his heart. Error hated that this place got to live happily and peacefully while he had to suffer at the hands of Fate- EVERY SINGLE FUNKING DAY. His life has been hell from the moment Fate started pulling strings, and why? Because she was having an ego trip the size of the Multiverse!

Error took a deep breath and tried to calm himself when he began to violently glitch. A moment or two later, the mix of error signs and white squares subsided. Giving in to anger would get him nowhere- That was a lesson he learned a lifetime ago, after senseless beating Frisk/Chara into the ground a few thousand times. During his (Geno's) warpath, he never took the time to think things through or came up with a way to permanently solve the problem. He just stubbornly fought the kid over and over and over again because, at the time, it was the only logical option. The only option he could see. In reality, everything could have been handled a lot better if he hadn't allowed himself to be blinded by rage. Sans (After, his other half) proved that to him. By offering a different perspective, even though he was too stubborn to acknowledge it back then.

After formulated a plan he had never considered- or even thought possible. How? Error still questioned that to this day. Technically, they were one and the same. Two halves of a whole. But if he had to wager a guess, it likely had a lot to do with their experiences. Geno lived through hell. After lived a life as normal as their life could get. So despite the same skeleton, they weren't really the same skeleton.

He was cunning, intelligent, manipulative, spiteful, stubborn, determined, cynical, and not to mention, dashingly handsome (Read: Narcissistic).

After was understanding, patient, kind, thoughtful, and greatly untainted by the every living nightmare created by Fate and that darn brat.

Regardless, his other half had made a fantastic plan. A plan that worked. Even if for a short while, before Fate decided to funk with Error's life again. Right now, he needed a plan like that. A working plan. A plan that took all angles - whether simple, obtuse, or just plain strange - into consideration and created the perfect solution. Just like with the idea to weaponize his fractured soul. It was a good plan. Something so out there that it could actually work. And perhaps it did. Error had no way to confirm how well his plot succeeded.

That left the ex-destroyer with the biggest question of all: What should he do now?

Craft a scheme, whether it led to his death or his ultimate revenge? Solely seek death? Live to fight another day? The dark skeleton didn't know what to do. For once in his life, he had so many options to choose from and no Fate to interfere with the outcome of his choices.

_This _was true freedom... If only he knew what to do with it.

Suddenly the strange voice's phantom words returned to haunt him, '_If you make it out of this alive, I hope you will chase after your own happy ending._'

_C__hase after your own happy ending._

_Your own happy ending._

_Happy.._.

_Ending..._

_A happy ending?_

_My happy ending?_

Error thought for a moment. Could such a thing be possible? Could he really find his happy ending? Or would everything go wrong again? Those questions left him pondering one more thing:

_What would be _my _happy ending?_

* * *

Author Note: Looks like this chapter in Error's story has come to a close. It sure was exciting, wasn't it?

But the real question is: What could I possibly be up to? A mysterious Void, its' equally mysterious abomination, and an epic cliffhanger don't just lead to nothing.

Keep an eye out for "_Punishment For A Guardian's Sins_", where you can witness the glorious fallout of Error's curtain call and revel in Ink's misery.


End file.
